How To LA

Episodes

Listen • 50:06

Listen • 50:06

This Old House Radio Hour: Designing for Disaster: How Los Angeles Builds Back Smarter + Saving The Outsider’s House + Four DIY Fixes: Chimneys, Circuits, Ceilings, and Steam

This week on This Old House Radio Hour—what does it mean to rebuild not just homes, but entire communities?

Sunset Magazine editor-in-chief Hugh Garvey joins us to discuss the magazine’s special issue devoted to the rebuilding of Altadena and Pacific Palisades in the wake of January’s devastating wildfires. Sunset, a voice in California architecture for over 125 years, has assembled an extraordinary coalition of architects, planners, artists, and historians. Together, they offer not just a plan, but a call to action—for fire-resilient homes, culturally grounded design, and a West that can weather what’s coming.

Then we travel from the hills of Los Angeles to the streets of Tulsa, where Danny Boy O’Connor—from House of Pain—takes us inside his remarkable second act. After bottoming out, he bought a run-down house for $15,000... and it just happened to be the house from The Outsiders. What followed was a full restoration, a pilgrimage, and a new life. We take a tour of the Outsiders Museum and meet the community that made it possible.

Later, Cheap Old Houses is back—Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein spotlight a dreamy 1870s Victorian in Fredonia, Kentucky and an off-the-grid cabin on federal forest land in Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, both for under $100,000.

Plus, another round of House Rules, our listener-powered game that tests your home renovation know-how. And in The Simple Fix, we show you how to find a stud in your baseboard—without breaking the wall.

And as always, we’re taking your calls. Got a house problem, project hurdle, or just need a little advice? Call us at (877) 864-7460.

All that and more, coming up on This Old House Radio Hour.

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Listen • 18:23

Listen • 18:23

Inside LA's All-Night Ambient Music Scene

#126: It's summer! Time for all night, experimental ambient music gatherings....right???

Ambient music gatherings as a thing have been gaining popularity here in the LA area in the past few years. These immersive events combine elements of music, theater, dance, live visual art and poetry to create a really impactful experience meant to take you on a journey of sorts. And the roots of these events come from what’s known as “happenings” that trace back to 1960s loft parties in New York, and even further to traditional, meditative trance music from places like India and Morocco.

Today, HTLA producer Megan Botel takes you to a recent ambient music event called Tonalism at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge to tell you what this scene is all about.

Guests: Mark "Frosty" McNeil, co-founder of Dublab and Creative Producer of LA Phil; Hatt Merlino, producer at Dublab, Rachel Day, program director at Dublab
Listen • 32:42

Listen • 32:42

HTLA Presents: The Barbie Tapes: When Girls--and Barbie--Could do Anything

BONUS: From LAist Studios, LA Made: The Barbie Tapes.

In this episode, Ruth and Elliot Handler are gone, and the new Mattel team, led by a man who feared the volatility of the toy business, diversified the company and made a big gamble on electronics.It didn’t work. Fortunately, Barbie ends up in the sure hands of some trailblazing women executives, who could see that the culture was moving in a direction very compatible with Barbie’s persona. From the workforce to the workout, Barbie was a doll of her times.

Listen now at https://laist.com/podcasts/la-made
Listen • 32:57

Listen • 32:57

HTLA Presents: The Barbie Tapes: Battle of the Bulge

BONUS: From LAist Studios, LA Made: The Barbie Tapes

For Barbie, the cultural upheaval of the 60s and 70s incites one identity crisis after another as Mattel tries to make sure that their doll, who had revolutionized the toy industry, didn’t fall behind the times. By popular demand, Mattel creates Ken, and gradually adds new supporting players to Barbie’s world. In this episode, we investigate Ken's origin story, delve into the inner workings of Mattel, and hear how Barbie's inventor, Ruth Handler, was ousted from her own company.

Listen now at https://laist.com/podcasts/la-made
Listen • 32:13

Listen • 32:13

HTLA Presents: LA Made: The Barbie Tapes: A Toy is Born

BONUS: From LAist Studios, LA Made: The Barbie Tapes

When Barbie arrives on the toy scene in 1959, her celebrity is instantaneous, and not just because of her controversial appearance. Worldwide, Barbie is still the best-selling doll of all time. But Barbie has always been more than just a doll - she's a cultural touchstone. This episode kicks off the origin story of Barbie as told by her creators in their own words.

This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Listen now at https://laist.com/podcasts/la-made
Listen • 17:20

Listen • 17:20

Barbie's A California Girl

#125: Right now, we're undeniably living in a Barbie world. So, co-host of the LAist podcast "LA Made: The Barbie Tapes" Antonia Cereijido joins HTLA's Brian De Los Santos for a chat about Barbie's Los Angeles origin story. We also explore why Barbie continues to fascinate folks today, whether they like her or not.
Listen • 13:03

Listen • 13:03

Feel Like Tipping Has Gotten Out Of Hand? Here’s Why

#124: If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, or as a barista or bartender, you know that tips matter. But on the customer side, it’s gotten a lot more confusing in recent years. More and more businesses are asking for tips now, including fast food restaurants and online retailers — places that didn’t used to make that request. Why?

To answer that question, we turned to NPR's Stacey Vanek Smith, to talk about her reporting on this. She's co-host of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money. She's also a correspondent for Planet Money, where she covers business and economics.
Listen • 15:06

Listen • 15:06

Discover Sylmar - Heat, Horses, & History

#123: We're continuing our summer of discover neighborhood series, but this time with something new... and what better than our first episode in the 818? HTLA host Brian De Los Santos is taking producer Evan Jacoby on a tour of his former home town of Sylmar - the northernmost neighborhood in LA City. Join the tour as they cruise around town, eat too much pasta, and learn about everything that makes Sylmar - and the valley - special.
Listen • 37:34

Listen • 37:34

HTLA Presents: Code Switch — Is ‘home’ still home after 30 years away?

BONUS: We’re excited to share an episode of NPR’s Code Switch that highlights Brian’s “Finding Home, Con DACA” series that we published earlier this year.

(You can check out those stories here on our feed.)

Brian spoke to host Lori Lizzaraga about his time in Mexico as a DACA recipient, how he embraced being pocho and all those feelings that come along with being undocumented in this country.

Links:
Is "home" still home after 30 years away?